Hundreds of names have been put forward for consideration for BusinessCloud’s inaugural Northern Leaders list.
Northern Leaders aims to shine a light on the leaders who have made – and continue to make – the biggest positive difference to the North. It is aimed primarily at the business world but could also include figures from politics, sport and the voluntary sectors.
BusinessCloud has been inundated with names, which will be considered for inclusion in the final list by a panel of esteemed judges.
They include Liz Scott, executive director of the Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester (TIC).
Scott spent more than 17 years at EY and has played a key role in Manchester’s rise as a tech hub, including as director of Tech Nation, the national startup support network.
She was also an advisory board member at the Manchester AI Foundry, which was a predecessor to the current Turing Innovation Catalyst – itself a partnership between University of Manchester and UK Research & Innovation.
Aimed at supporting the region’s fast-growing AI industry, TIC Manchester includes a venture builder, a competitive AI accelerator, an R&D training programme with Manchester universities, and skills programmes for the community.
Emma Degg, chief executive at North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT), has also been suggested for consideration in Northern Leaders.
Degg was recently awarded an MBE in June 2024 for her efforts to make a tangible difference in the North West.
She also played a key role in creating the United for Ukraine platform to support evacuees coming to the region, showcasing her proactive and compassionate approach to crisis response.
James Whittaker, managing director of Peel Waters, has also been put forward for consideration in the Northern Leaders.
In his role he’s tasked with overseeing the delivery of six of the UK’s largest waterfront regeneration sites as well leading on the development of Port Salford, Western Gateway, Embassy Village homeless scheme, and TraffordCity – the UK’s foremost retail and leisure, destination.
Outside of work, Whittaker is a world record holder for the Arch-to-Arc relay challenge he completed with his brothers and he is the first and only person to swim the 36-mile Manchester Ship Canal, raising £1.3m for the New Children’s Hospital Appeal.
More recently, he completed the challenge of cycling the whole coast of Great Britain, raising over £60,000 for WaterAid by clocking up 3,500 miles in 31 days!
Another name nominated is Hannah Davies, deputy CEO of Northern Health Science Alliance, where she was forged a reputation for conveying the North’s challenges to the rest of the UK, particularly leading on initiatives like health disparity and child poverty.
More details about the format for Northern Leaders will be revealed soon, but nominations can still be sent to Chris Maguire here.
The headline sponsor for Northern Leaders is OBI and and is joined by partners , Co-op Live, CG, GM Business Growth Hub and Rochdale Development Agency.